If Blood Tastes Like This
by EscapedYesterday
Summary: ... Then Sign Me Up. A British Police Officer. A French Kidnapper who belongs to the night. An American youth wanting to save the day. What more could go wrong? Alot as Kirkland discovers when left to the not-so-mericful Francis Bonnefoy.
1. Alone

Moon light spilt down onto the rugged back streets of Victorian London that fateful summer night. A gust of warm air blew down one of the dead end alleys that wormed off of Oxford Street causing a police officer of medium height to shudder. His short dirty blonde hair stuck out at all angles from beneath his rather large, bulky helmet. Eyes that bore a rather close resemblance to emeralds shone brightly in the pale light as he turned to walk back to the entrance after he was sure that there was no-one hiding in the shadows.

The man's uniform was quite obviously cared for well, there were no signs of wear or tear from previous scuffles with enemies of the law. Unlike most Policemen the blonde's body was slender, almost female. Though if someone bough such a thing into conversation the baton in the policeman's hand would find it's way to the crest of their head with more force than they could have possibly anticipated.

Sighing loudly the man reached up and removed the helmet from his head before looking up at the moon, grateful for at least some form of light during such troublesome times. People had been vanishing curing the night, as per usual, but for once it wasn't women. It was men and the mere thought of being on patrol by himself at this moment in time scared him witless. Every sound made him jump, every shadow made him hold his baton out in front of him. Though he doubted it would help much.

The past few nights he'd been out on patrol he'd been with a young American he was helping to train. Even though the young man grated on him badly he would've loved to have him by his side right now laughing and making crass remarks. Fortunately nothing seemed to be happening this night and he was nearing the end of his shift. A small smile made it's way across the blonde's lips at the thought of going to the bar after his shift and drinking himself into oblivion.

"_Monsieur_ Kirkland you look _tres beau _with that smile~"

As the voice echoed down the alley the so-called Mr. Kirkland spun on his heels in an attempt to find the owner of the mysterious French voice. There seemed to be no-one which only set him further on edge. There was a light tap on his shoulder causing him to freeze in terror. He felt all his hairs slowly stand on end. The warm breeze, which had previously been blowing through the alley, was now deathly cold.

"I've been watching you _mon petit lapin_" Whispered the voice into the others ear which proceeded to send shivers down Kirkland's back "Watching and waiting. Now Arthur I do believe it's time to go home. _Oui_?"

Opening his mouth to shout at, what was obviously, a French male he felt something cover his mouth. Within seconds the officer was out for the count, limp in the arms of a cloaked figure.


	2. Missing

**_I would just like to say a HUGE thank-you to everyone who reviewed/story alerted/favourited this story! I wasn't expecting that at all!_**  
**_I hope to god I don't let any of you down._**

_**Also I will be posting translations of the French words, I'm used to my friends and I occasionally speaking French casually so I assume most people understand it. My apologies.**_

_**ANYWHO! Thank-you again!**_

_**

* * *

**_

It wasn't till late afternoon the next day that Mr. Kirkland's bosses realised something wasn't quite right. The blonde hadn't reported in after his shift, not that, that was an unusual occurrence, but when he didn't appear for his morning shift people had been sent out into the busy streets to search for him. He couldn't be found in any of his normal retreats and when his home was searched they found out he hadn't been there in at least two days. One man in particular was worried more than the rest. His bright blue eyes read the log sheet as his hair shone beneath the sun's rays. Helmet under his arm the youngster decided to go to the Sergeant in charge to find out if there was anything being kept from the unit.

The man in question looked nothing like the Englishman from the previous night. His hair was neat and tidy, aside the one small flick that stuck out at an angle that should have been impossible because of gravity's existence. Bright blue eyes that resembled the sky gleamed over a pair of rectangular glasses that slid down his nose every so often. His uniform looked like it hadn't been ironed in a millennia, boot laces trailed behind him messily as he walked down a long wood panelled corridor that was covered in paintings or black and white photos. Most of which consisted of the Sergeant and a rather lanky looking man with wavy blonde hair and some stubble. This lost the blonde completely, he'd never seen such a man before. The confusion was wiped clean from his mind as he saw a painting consisting of five men. Two of which he knew.

In the front of the painting stood a rather pissed off looking Arthur, his blonde hair as messy as ever whilst his uniform was as it always was, neat. On his right stood a rather tall man who had white hair and blood red eyes, this spooked the blue eyed man as he'd never seen anyone like this before although he'd heard of it. The man in the painting was an albino, who oddly had what looked like a chick on his head instead of a helmet. Suppressing laughter the young male looked at the next man. This one had tanned skin, more so than his own, and he had short brown hair which was only a little bit neater than Arthur's. He was grinning ear to ear whilst being pulled in close by the albino. Behind the trio stood the Sergeant with his silvery hair which the painter had given a hint of lilac. Around his neck was the familiar scarf which he never seemed to take off, it went with him even if he was on duty. Beside him stood a tall, muscular man who wore a rather stern expression on his face which was only intensified by the bags beneath his eyes. Blonde hair was slicked back neatly it didn't take long for the young man to realise it was obviously some one with a high status. Chuckling he stood a step back only to bump into something, or someone.

"_Privjet_ Mr. Jones"

Turning quickly the young man backed away from the Russian.

"S-Sergeant Braginski!" He stuttered from shock "I was looking for you!"

Jones had a painfully strong American accent, it annoyed most of his fellow officers who called it whiney, none more so that the missing Englishman.

"And I, you comrade" He smiled, unfortunately emanating a rather eerie aura "About Arthur, _da_?"

Nodding nervously he allowed the man to lead him towards the office at the end of the corridor. The door stood proudly with a small silver plaque which shone revealing the name 'Sergeant Ivan Braginski'. The taller of the pair pushed the door open to reveal a large orderly room. Papers were stacked neatly on top of a large oak desk. Certificates hung from the walls, not a single one looked English but that was to be expected. A quill and ink were tucked away tidily behind several letters which were in need of being addressed and sent off. Walking around the wooden piece of furniture the Russian pulled out a velvet arm chair before sitting himself down on it and letting out a contented sigh. Smiling he signalled to the American to take a seat. Mr. Jones sat down somewhat awkwardly, to put it bluntly he hated silence, it was one of the reasons he talked constantly. The corners of the young American's mouth twitched into a nervous smile as he watched the Russian in front of him.

"We're already looking for another to take over your train-" He began only to be cut off by an out raged American.

"What? I don't WANT another trainer! Artie is the only one who knows this place like the back of his hand! That's what you said to be!"

Ivan sat there, eyes wide from the shock of being spoken to in such a manner. The American continued to voice his opinions. Well that was until Braginski sat up straight in his seat and narrowed his eyes, which seemed to speak of unimaginable horrors that Mr. Jones would suffer if he didn't shut his mouth, which thankfully he did.

"Comrade, if you had let me finish you would've found out why I saying this. Da?" His smile was even more dangerous than his narrow lilac eyes had seemed mere moments before.

Gulping the young blonde nodded silently, now terrified of the man before him.

"Mr Kirkland is missing, presumed dead"


	3. Waking Up

As those six words echoed around the young American's head the room temperature seemed to drop quite drastically. Goosebumps spread all over his body causing him to shudder and stare in horror at the white haired man in front of him. 'Presumed dead? How could say that? So calmly as well!'. Jones fumed inwardly, it took some time but he managed to eventually calm himself down. Shaking his head stubbornly the American glared at the Russian who sat in front of him.

"How can you say such a thing?" He roared angrily "How can you just give up like that?"

With a loud sigh the scarf wearing man pushed himself up from the chair which he'd been sat on. His lilac eyes moved off of the American and onto the window to the left of him. Walking towards it the Russian stared down at the people bustling around below unknowing of what was currently going on behind the scenes. A sombre expression settled on the man's face as he continued to look down on the people below.

"You know of the others who went missing, da?" He asked quietly.

Mr. Jones began to nod his head only to realise that Braginski wouldn't be able to see and replied with a somewhat nervous 'Yes sir'. He had a horrible sinking feeling that there was something being kept from both the lower members of the Police Force and public by the way the Russian spoke.

"The others kidnapped were also Police Officers comrade. You know that painting I caught you looking at, da? Well the man with the white hair and the man with the large happy smile.. they were taken and within days found dead."

* * *

With a rather loud groan the dirty blonde officer's eyes fluttered open, only to be greeted by a nasty throbbing pain in his head that reminded him vaguely of a hangover. Pushing himself up shakily he realised that he had been laying on a bed, a very comfortable bed at that.

After a few minutes his eyes adjusted to the dim light that was being cast down from candles that sat in a Candelabra. Looking up he took note that the item of furniture looked like it could have been made of genuine crystal rather than glass. Slowly the Englishman began to take in his surroundings.

The room was richly furnished from floor to ceiling, the light fittings being evidence enough. A dark red wood covered the floor only hidden in one part where there was a rug beneath a large armchair, which looked like it was covered in velvet. Curiously he allowed his eyes to trail to the walls, which were covered in tapestries that seemed to glimmer as the wavering light hit the gold thread.

It was at this point that he noticed something distinctly odd about the room and it set him on edge somewhat. There wasn't single door or window in sight. Unless they were hidden behind the material's draped over the stone walls. Biting down on his lip Arthur began to wonder how on earth he'd ended up in such a place and who owned it. For some reason he couldn't gather he thoughts.

Sighing heavily he continued to examine the room, taking note of the wardrobe, dressing table, mirror and the clothes which sat on the end of his bed folded up neatly.

"Wait.. Clothes?" He thought out loud to himself.

A sudden chill went down his spine, shuddering he wrapped his arms around his chest, his BARE chest. Who ever had taken him had undressed him. Had seen him naked. A red tinge came to the messy haired man's cheeks as he wrapped the duvet around himself protectively. After a few minutes he realised how stupid he must have looked and mumbled insults at himself under his breath before picked up one of the items of clothes which had been left for him.

It was far too flamboyant for the young man's liking. The white shirt was fine, minus the slight frill around the cuffs. However it was the pretentious looking coat that made the man's nose wrinkle in disgust. The colour was fine, a dark green which became lighter towards the sleeves and tails but the patterns, which looked like they'd been painstakingly hand sewn, were a little too much. Leaves and flowers as well as odd little symbols were littered around the tips. Around the neck there was a whole load of frills, which looked like they were made from silk. Reaching out he picked up the black trousers, normal enough. The waistcoat was beautiful, green silk at the back but black with silver buttons on the front. Unfortunately there wasn't any form of underwear set out.

Scowling the young man pulled the duvet around him before getting up, stumbling a little at first as his head spun. 'Slow baby steps..' He told himself as he set off towards the wardrobe. Opening it his eyes scanned the contents, eventually finding a pair of undergarments. Smiling to himself he went back to the bed and began to dress himself.

Five minutes later the blonde stood, feeling somewhat awkward in the clothes. Never in a million years had be expected to find himself wearing such expensive things. His parents hadn't exactly been well off and he was only just able to rent the flat in which he lived. Glancing at the coat he wondered if he should put it on. In it's own right it was a stunning piece of work but it just didn't appeal to the blonde in the slightest.

Being too busy engrossed in his own thoughts Arthur hadn't heard the rug in the corner of the room brush against the floor as a trap door was opened. The same cloaked figure from the night before was now sat in the armchair, watching with a bemused expression as the English Officer stared, with a mixture of amazement and disgust, at the item of clothing he hadn't put on. Chuckling the figure stood up and walked over the Brit.

Hearing the noise Arthur's eyes widened he turned to see the figure walking towards him. His legs kicked into action and he walked backwards away from the other not taking his eyes off of him for one minute.

"Ah, mon cheri~ Are you scared?" He asked, the smirk which was currently hidden behind the hood showed clearly enough in his voice.

"As if I'd be scared of some frog! You're the one that's hiding you stupid tosser!" He snapped angrily, desperately trying to hide the fact that he was petrified.

"Oh! Désolé mon ami!" He said quickly as he tugged the hood from his head to reveal a rather attractive face.

Blonde hair, which had a slight wave to it, framed the Frenchman's face. Blue eyes shining playfully as he watched and waited for the Englishman to react.

Arthur's eyes widened even more, if that was possible, his jaw almost reached the floor as it fell open. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, there was no way on earth it could be true. Deciding his eyes must have been playing up on him he rubbed them furiously before looking forward and blinking. The other was still stood there, now laughing at the Officer. Emerald eyes glared at the laughing man before him. Clenching his fists the darker haired blonde stormed towards the other and punched him squarely in the face, hoping to god he'd break the nose. Seeing the other stumble backwards and cease their laughter Arthur smirked, content. Well that was until he remembered that the man in front of him was supposed to be dead. In fact he knew he was dead.

"I SHOT YOU! They found out you were corrupt and I was ordered to shoot on sight!" He shouted in frustration, fists still clenched.

"Arthur you cannot kill those 'oo are already dead~"

* * *

_**Translations;**_

**_Mon cheri – My Friend_**

_**Désolé mon ami – I'm Sorry my friend **__( A stronger more suggestive version of Cheri )_

Um I think that's about it. I'm trying to make the chapters longer and I'm sorry if this didn't make much sense or if there are a lot of errors. I wrote it last night at about 3 in the morning.

I hope I'm not disappointing you all TOO much.

Ruth

xxxx


	4. Dead?

Arthur stood and stared at the tall blonde before him in disbelief. What on earth had he meant by that comment?

"Th-that's impossible!" The blonde spluttered "Don't s-speak such non-sense frog!"

All this out-burst earned was laughter from the Frenchman who was, within minutes, bent over clutching his sides tightly. Feeling the blood rush to his cheeks Arthur scowled which made his large bushy eyebrows furrow.

"What the bloody hell are you laughing at?" He huffed whilst crossing his arms.

"You _mon cheri~_" The other said between breaths as he slowly calmed himself "You 'oo believes in faeries cannot believe I am dead!"

Glaring the smaller male felt his cheeks go even redder than previously. Faeries did exist! Someone who was dead on the other hand obviously didn't! It was at that point that the police officer decided he was dreaming. This couldn't possibly be real. He had probably drunk too much the night before and was now experiencing a rather messed up, alcohol induced dream. Turning he began to look around the room in search of something he could bash his head against in order to wake himself up.

Blinking the Frenchman watched Arthur curiously.

"This is no dream _mon petit lapin_" He said with a smile "I am 'ere and very much dead"

"And I'm meant to believe that?" He grumbled before sighing when he found nothing to himself with.

Without the law enforcers eyes upon him the Frenchman was able to move freely. Within seconds he stood behind the clueless man, smirking.

"_Oui mon ami._ Maybe this will 'elp" He whispered into Arthur's ear as he wrapped his arms around his waist "You can feel that _non_?"

"F-Francis? GET YOUR FILTHY MITTS OFF OF ME!" Arthur shouted, his voice nearly high enough to be classified as a shriek, but men don't shriek.

When the other refused to do so Arthur took it upon himself to try and wiggle free. Placing his own hand upon the European's he noticed the other was ice cold, shudder a little he looked up only to meet those blue eyes. He couldn't have been telling the truth, could he? Thinking back he remembered one of his faeries warning him about creatures such as werewolves, zombies and vampires. As he'd never met any Arthur had merely brushed the words to the side but now, now he was beginning to wonder if he should have listened to the small creature.

"Y-You really aren't alive.. are you?" He asked, voice quiet from fear.

"Finally!" Francis said happily "'E gets it!"

* * *

Eventually managing to pull himself away from the other he ran his fingers through his hair shakily. For some od reason the pair of dead policeman crossed through his mind causing him to frown. Francis re-appeared after the deaths of two of the other officers who had assisted in bringing him down? Paling Arthur watched the other warily. Unsure of what he was supposed to make of the train of though.

'Maybe it's just coincidence…' He hoped as he had no way to escape 'G-God I hope it's coinci-..'

His thoughts were rather rudely interrupted by a cough, blinking he looked over at the Frenchman again.

"_Mon cheri_, you may as well voice your thoughts"

This statement was greeted by an arched eyebrow from the confused Englishman. Sighing Francis flicked a stray strand of hair from his face.

"Vampires can read 'uman thoughts" He said in a bored tone of voice. "As amusing as it is to hear you panic privately I'd rather n-.."

"Well don't fucking listen then you stupid wanker!" Arthur spat angrily, fists clenched tightly by his side.

Fear was racking his body. He hadn't the foggiest about what he should do, other than he shouldn't let the other out of his sight.

"And 'ere was me about to ask if you wanted dinner" Francis faked an expression of deep hurt which looked very similar to a pout.

At the thought of being fed Arthur's stomach growled loudly causing him to blush and look away. Which he instantly regretted as Francis was stood directly in front of him by the time he'd managed to calm the blush down and look back. Taking the jacket, which Arthur had refused to wear, Francis forced the small Englishman into it and smiled.

"Now you are dressed I guess I can show you off~" He sand happily as he pulled Arthur towards the area in which the trap door was situated.

* * *

_God! I am so sorry it's taken so long! I've been away down in London at a convention recently and I've just finished Art College been far too busy unfortately. Add that onto working 27+ hours at work and I've had no time to myself X_x;;_

_I know this is only a small chapter but I wanted to get something posted.  
So sorry!_

_The French in this part is the same as I've used in the previous parts so I don't really think I need to put up a translation thingy._

_Hope you're all well~  
Ruth_

_xxxx  
_


	5. Blindfolds and Statues

The information that Alfred had gained several hours ago was still buzzing around his head. Braginsky has told him to forget about the whole incident and move on as there was no hope for his mentor-come-friend. The tall, blonde haired male refused to accept such nonsense! How could the police give up on one of their own so easily?

Clenching his fists tightly by his side Alfred gritted his teeth. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to give up.

'Heroes never give up!' he told himself mentally as a grin pulled at his lips 'I'll prove Sergeant Braginsky wrong!'

With a confident laugh, which made several people in the office jump in shock, he strode out of the room and onto the busy streets of London. Punching the air, with one of his still clenched fists, the American shouted.

"I'm coming for you Arthur!"

Laughing again he ran off down the street unaware of the pair of violet scowling eyes that followed him.

* * *

Arthur, who had been blindfolded for the past five minutes, was sat in what felt like a rather large wooden chair. Being unable to see anything set the poor Englishman even more on edge than the whole 'naked in a strange bed' incident had. At least with that he could see to defend himself. Biting down on his lip Arthur listened intently for the sound of footsteps, but no such sound reached his ears. Which could have been the reason he yelped and jumped when a pair of hands were place don his shoulders.

"_Mon petit chou_, calm yourself ~ I will not 'arm you…" Said the all too familiar voice.

"…Yet" Arthur said quietly, almost as if he could read the others mind.

Fake laughter reached his ears causing him to blush and furrow his large brows beneath the material which was keeping him defenceless.

"Ever the pessimist~" Francis sang before taking off the blindfold.

Wincing as the bright light of the room reached his eyes, the ash-blonde male instinctively raised a hand to cast some shade over the top half of his face. Sapphires met Emeralds, the way the blue orbs in front of him glistened caused his cheeks to flush a light pink. They were so close. So very, very close. Arthur found himself lowering his hand, unable to look away from those beautiful blue eyes before him.  
Well that was until he heard the Frenchman laugh. Glaring he raised his hand again, only this time he used it to hit the Frog causing silence to fall as the sound of hand hitting cheek resounded around the room.

Blue eyes blinked in shock.

"B-BASTARD!" Arthur shouted angrily "Fucking stupid dead wanker!"

The blonde in front of the Englishman was stunned, he's known what Arthur was like but the one he'd known previously could take a joke. Something had changed. All he could do was continue to stare at the officer before him, who was still shouting crude insults that seemed to be getting worse with each word that passed his lips.

Eventually Francis pressed a finger against them with a frown, successfully silencing the potty-mouthed man.

"Now… Do you wish to eat?" He asked, sounding genuinely annoyed "Or are you going to continue insulting the vampire that has you 'eld 'ostage in a place no-one knows exists?"

Remembering the situation he was currently in Arthur mumbled his apologies before looking away and for the first time noticing the room he was currently sat in. It was huge. The walls were covered in gold paint and funny flower shaped relief, which he vaguely remembered being called '_Flue de lys_'.  
Candle holders protruded from the walls that supplied the room with light. Large marble statues of scantily clad men and women stood proudly in each corner. At the far end of the room was a large ornate fire place with a grand looking coach clock on-top of it that seemed to glitter as the light hit it. Finally his eyes rested on the large table he was sat at, and that the Frenchman was sat on.

Smirking as he noticed the Englishman's wide eyed expression of wonderment he shifted himself off of the table and whistled.

Creaking sounds filled the room, causing the police officer to look around said room in fear. It took him a while to notice what was making the sounds. The statues. They were moving. Some stretching whilst others yawned. A few minutes later the disturbing noises ceased buy the statues continued to move. Some of them noticed Arthur and eyed him curiously making the small man shudder and want to run for his life. After a while the gleaming figures formed a line in front of the Frenchman.

"These, _mon cher_, are my _employee et employe de maison~_" He smiled sweetly as he walked along the line bestowing affectionate touches to them and the occasional kiss "They 'elp me with my more… difficult chores."

Narrowing his eyes warily the short officer didn't take his eyes from the blonde who was now happily prancing around before him.

"Difficult chores…?" Arthur asked nervously.

"_Oui mon petit_ you shall find out soon~"

Laughing at the fear that crossed the young blondes face Francis clapped his hands and said something in French before turning back to Arthur as the marble men and women walked away, glancing back at the pair every so often.

"I'm starting to trust you less and less with each passing second" The messy haired man told Francis with a frown.

Smiling softly the Frenchman kissed Arthur gently on the nose, chuckling as he watched the, now familiar, pink tinge the smaller man's cheeks. Eyebrows furrowed into a scowl before he pushed the flirtatious vampire away.

"That's not helping your case!"

"I know _mon cheri_" He laughed again "But if you trusted me I'd never be able to fulfil my plan~"

Growling warningly Arthur crossed his arms and looked away from the other in a huff. Again the smile crossed the wavy haired man's face.

"'Umans, always so interesting" Francis said to himself fondly as he walked away in the same direction as the stone servants, winking back at Arthur as he passed through the door.

* * *

_I've had this ready for a while but haven't had the time to post it because of work __

_I have been running around like crazy for my job, but the money has made it worth while 3_

_Thank god for going down to London a week on Saturday, will be a nice holiday of sorts 3_

_I'm going to try and post more frequently as well _ Will try to have another chapter up by end of next week 3_

_Thankyou to EVERYONE for the reviews, favourites and stuff 3 It means the world to me! Seriously 3 ... Now.. if only I could figure out how to reply to them.. XD;;_

_Ruth_

_xxxx  
_


	6. Pain, Food and Being Reunited

After what felt like hours of sitting in complete solitude the Englishman was beginning to loose his patience. He didn't know what day it was. Whether it was day or night or if his fellow officers even knew he was missing.  
Mumbling under his breath Arthur got up from the chair in which he'd been sat. There was only so long he could obey his captor, especially as he was of the French breed.

Knowing full well he wouldn't see any of his faerie friends whilst he was the 'guest' of such an evil creature Arthur sighed and looked around the room hoping he could pick up on some route he could use to escape. Normally his friends would have supplied such information to him but now that wasn't going to happen. Normally he would've had a pocket book full of charms and such on him but seeing as he'd been undressed and hadn't the slightest clue as to where his uniform had been placed he doubted it would be of any use even to think about it.

Whilst the short, bushy browed man had been thinking he hadn't noticed that his host and re-entered the room with his army of living statues. In the time he had been pacing around the room they had managed to set the table and were now waiting for the Englishman to sit before they served the food. Unfortunately he was far too engrossed in his plot to escape to notice them and how impatient they were getting.

Francis on the other hand wore a bemused expression upon his face as he listened intently to each and every thought that passed through his former friends head and couldn't help but chuckle which regrettably, or that's what the vampire thought at least, snapped Arthur from his daze.

Turning his head quickly to the direction in which the sound had come from he blushed as he remembered that the Frenchman could hear his thoughts. Growling he opened his mouth to shout angrily at the frog, who was now having a fit of hysterics in the chair that Arthur had been sat in previously, but he squeaked in shock as he felt freezing cold hands wrap themselves around his wrists.  
The sensation was odd to put it bluntly. Yes the hands were obviously stone but there was the faint throb of a pulse. He spun his head around rapidly, eyes wide in alarm. Two of the now peevish statues had taken a hold of him and were now dragging him towards the chair that Francis was getting out of.

"_Mon petit chou_ don't looked so scared! They won't 'arm you, unless I wish for them to do so" The faint outline of a smirk appeared upon the blue eyed man's lips.

These words did nothing to calm the panic-stricken Englishman who was now struggling with all of his might. Green orbs were now shut tightly as he attempted to pull free, to no avail. The pair of creatures forced him onto the chair and were now holding him there. Francis turned his back on Arthur and the pair to order the remaining statues to bring in the food. He was completely unaware that the servants were actually hurting the small police officer who was now writhing in pain, trying to kick the duo away which only made his feet ache. Whimpering quietly he begged them to let go but they did nothing of the sort, it seemed as though they only understood French and he'd be damned if he was going to speak that blasted language. Eventually the other noticed Arthur's plight and stared in horror.

"_Merde! _Let 'im go! _Permettez-lui d'aller!_" Francis shouted angrily.

With a little reluctance the statues did as they were asked and walked away to the kitchens where the rest of their kind were putting the food onto platters.  
Almost as soon as his wrists were free from the white beasts the small man whimpered again and huddled up, tears brimming and threatening to fall. Mustering up the best glare he could manage Arthur shot it at the Frenchman who looked genuinely ashamed and worried, which almost instantly made him fill with guilt. Looking down he stared at his knees, which were now up against his chest. The tears, which had been threatening to fall, were now trickling freely down his cheeks. It didn't take long for Francis to notice this and within an instant he was kneeling down before the sobbing gentleman. Raising his hands slowly he pried the smaller man's hands away from his legs.

"Shush _mon cher_…" He uttered quietly as he inspected the already bruising wrists.

Heaving a sigh he told himself mentally to scold his servants later. Lifting the wrists to his lips he gently laid a kiss upon them, shivering as the pulsating veins throbbed against his lips. Pulling away quickly Francis shook his head to empty it of the thoughts that had begun to fill it. Looking up he noticed Arthur watching him, tears no longer falling but still brimming in his eyes. Smiling softly the Frenchman leant in and hugged him.

"They will not 'arm you again, I promise.. They will not touch you _mon ange_…" He whispered softly into the injured man's ear.

"T-They'd better bloody n-not…" Arthur sobbed quietly as he clung to Francis tightly.

As the two hugged the marble statues filled the table to the brim with foods of all scents, shapes and colours. After a while the aroma of the fully laden table reached the Englishman's nose who moved his head from the shoulder it had been resting on. His eyes, which had only a few minutes ago been scrunched up in pain, were now wide with amazement. He couldn't help but stare in wonder at the large array of meats, vegetables and fruits that were in front of him.

Feeling the others chin move Francis removed his arms from around the Englishman's body and pulled away only to smile at what had caught the attention of his company.

"My servants _et moi _'ave been slaving away over 'ot stoves for hours to get this ready for you, it 'as been over twenty-four 'ours since you last ate so we figured you would be 'ungry."

Arthur's cheeks flushed a light pink colour as his eyes continued to take in the sights before him.

"'As _le chat _got your tongue?"

"O-Of course not!" Arthur half shouted as he scowled.

All Francis could do was smile. Standing up straight he wandered to the back of the chair and pushed it in close to the table.

"Eat up _mon petit_! 'Ave as much as you wish~"

Nodding dumbly Arthur watched as the statues, which had stood and watched the pair, were now filling the silver plate in front of him with food. Nervously he picked up his knife and fork, which had the most intricate of floral designs on the handles and cut into the cutlet of lamb that had a drizzle of mint sauce over the top of it. Lifting the fork to his mouth he pressed the steaming meat to his lips and shuts his eyes lightly, breathing in the aroma before parting his lips and slipping it from the fork and onto his tongue where it seemed to fall apart almost instantly. Arthur couldn't stop the satisfied sound from escaping his lips. It came out as a soft yet low moan. It took a few minutes for him to realise just what had happened. The blush that had merely tinged his cheeks a few minutes ago was now in full bloom. It didn't take long for Francis's booming laughter to fill the room.

"I'm glad you like it~" He beamed, earning himself an embarrassed glare from the Englishman.

* * *

Alfred was sat at the desk in the room he was renting, although it was more of a slouch as he was fast asleep and drooling all over the papers which he had been working on. His tuft of hair bobbing as he steadily breathed in and out. It wasn't till there was a sudden knock on the door that Alfred woke, with a start at that. Such a start that he fell off of the stool on which he had been sat. The paper that he had been drooling upon was now stuck to his cheek.  
With his glasses askew and paper stuck to his face the American got up and stumbled across the room towards the door which was still being knocked on loudly.

"A'right a'right! Ya can stop now!" He moaned as he reached forward and opened it.

On the other side stood a young man, about the same height and age as Alfred. His hair was a similar colour as well but seemingly softer and instead of a tuft there was a stray curly piece of hair that dangled in front of a pair of bespectacled violet eyes. The young man wore a rather smart looking tweed suit with a red tie and white shirt beneath a black waist coat which he tugged on nervously.

"Alfred?" He asked quietly as he pushed his rounded glasses further up his nose.

Straightening out his own glasses Alfred squinted a little until his vision cleared, at whi9ch point he grinned widely and jumped the man before him.

"Mattie! Oh my GOD! It's been SO long!" He shouted happily "How've you been? God ya gone 'n' grown ain't ya!"

The questions from the excited American didn't cease for at least five minutes and by that pointed the man called 'Mattie' had given up on getting a word in edgeways and was now attempting to break free from the bone crushing hug Alfred had him in.

"C-Can't… Breathe…" He gasped whilst pushing the other away with all his might.

Laughing nervously the golden haired man let go and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he backed away from the other who was now nursing his ribs.

"Sorry Mattie… I guess I got a little bit too excited" He said with a lop-sided grin.

A grunt of agreement came from the doorway. Realising that his guest was still stood in the entrance he stepped aside allowing the young man to enter. With a sigh the younger of the two entered, took his coat off and hung it upon a hanger next to the door. It didn't take long for the lilac-eyed man to look around the room and take note of the state it was in.

"I guess you fell asleep working, again… Would explain the sheet of paper stuck to your face as well as the unwashed fishes and clothes" Mattie said in a rather unimpressed tone "I mom were here she'd have a real go at you…."

"Well mom's in Canada, where I thought you we-…."

"I went to visit dad and you in New York, only to find out you'd come here! Not a word to mom and I!" He growled angrily with narrowed eyes and clenched fists "Would it have hurt you in anyway to have sent a letter to mom and I? And you didn't send any letters to dad once you arrived! I know their divorce hurt you but don't be such a child!"

With each word the American's shoulders slumped with shame. It was true, he'd left over six months ago for England and hadn't even sent a letter over to inform anyone of his safe arrival at Dover. Even though he was older than his brother he acted much younger, he'd always been spoilt rotten by his father and to a certain extent his mother. Just as Mattie had reached the age of six and his brother eight their parents relationship had started to crumble. Normally Alfred would have followed his parents around all the time but as everything fell apart he was almost always pushed to the side and he didn't know how to react or what to do. It was at this point in time that the younger brother began to grow up. By the age of ten he was more like an eighteen-year-old, unlike his brother who was twelve and acted like he was still eight.  
Eventually their parents agreed to divorce before it got any messier. A year and a half later and they went their separate ways. The mother taking Mattie and the father, Alfred. To begin with they saw each other at least twice a year but then it all started to go pear-shaped. School-work got too much and the pair lost contact. Till now.

"I'm… Mattie I'm so sorry… I forgot, I came over here after I was offered a job ad I got so sucked up in it that I just.. I didn't mean to…" He said in a quiet voice " I know there's no excuse really but I genuinely did get too caught up in some of the cases and each time I settled down to write a letter Arthur would appear and lead me away to the next case…"

It was then he remembered what he'd been working on when he fell asleep. He was examining the deaths of the other two officers that had died recently to see if there were any clues about where Arthur, his mentor and friend, could be.

Turning quickly he went back to the papers on his desk, after removing the one from his face, and put them back into their corresponding files. The younger of the two arched an eyebrow, his brother didn't normally move that fast unless there was food involved or if he was hiding something and the latter seemed more likely as there had been no mention of eating.

"Alfred, what're you doing?" He asked as he moved forward silently and peered over his brother's shoulder "Aren't those Police files?"

"Well I AM an officer Mattie…"

"In training. How the hell did you manage to take them out? You're not poking your nose into things that are going to get you into trouble… Are you?"

"N-No! What kind of hero would I be if I broke the law? The very thing I'm trying to uphold!" Alfred huffed with crossed arms, looking a little hurt by his brother's accusation.

"Then how did you get your hands on them?"

"Arthur and I were looking over the case files because he thought they were connected" Alfred explained, pouting a little.

"Where is Arthur now?"

"He went missing a day and a half ago… My Sergeant won't go looking for him because he says he's probably already dead.."

"And you don't think that's right, do you?" Mattie asked as he watched his brother carefully.

Alfred nodded silently which earned him a sigh.

"Sometimes you should listen to your superiors you know…"

Mumbling the blue eyed man decided he'd heard enough and went back to tidying his desk. He didn't need to be lectured by his younger brother about what he should or shouldn't be doing. Silence fell over the room, which was only occasionally interrupted by the sound of rustling papers and the clinking of quills hitting against glass inkbottles.  
It was uncomfortable for the Canadian who was now fiddling with his cufflinks, which were in the shape of polar bears.

After a few more minutes Mattie decided he couldn't take it anymore.

"Alfred… I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… It just felt like you were more concerned about this Arthur than your own family…."

At this Alfred looked over at his brother, who was now staring down at the floor, still playing with his cufflinks. Noticing his brother's hands his eyes fell upon the silver bears and he couldn't help but smile.

"You still have those things?" Alfred asked.

"O-Of course I do!" Mattie said as a light blush crept across his cheeks. "They were the first present you sent me after you joined the Police force in New York!"

Chuckling the American moved forward and hugged his brother and buried his face into his shoulder.

"I missed you so much bro…" He whispered as Mattie hugged him in return, rubbing his back much like a mother would a child.

"Me too Alfie… Me too…"

* * *

_Hey! I said I'd have another up within the week! And it's much longer than the previous… 5?_

_Anyway._

_No post next week XD I'll try to get one done for the week after~_

_ROLL ON SATURDAY. Can't wait for London!  
_

_Ruth_

_Xxxx_

_P.S; Thankyou ALL for the favourites, ratings and all that jazz! It means the world to me, seriously. I know I say that nearly every time I post but yeah _ THANKYOU!  
_

_OH! One translation thing is needed I think;_

**_Permettez-lui d'aller - Let Him Go_**


	7. Nightmares from the Shadows

The two brothers spoke to each other until dawn, sharing many stories of what happened to them in their years of separation. Just before the sun cast it's warming rays over the glistening slate roofs of London the quieter out of the two bid his brother farewell, claiming that he was too tired and in need of some rest.

Smiling Alfred gave his brother another bone crushing hug before allowing him to leave. After his brother had left the young American removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose as he suppressed a yawn.

Looking around he realised just how much of a tip his flat was. Sighing heavily he glanced at the small clock which sat upon his wooden fireplace, which was of medium size, eventually he decided he couldn't see the point in going to bed only to have to wake up in a few hours time so he started work on tidying his room. He couldn't stand seeing his clothes strewn all over the floor, the cups and plates waiting patiently to be washed. To be perfectly honest he was amazed that things hadn't started to grow on their porcelain faces.  
Placing his glasses carefully back on his nose he began to busy himself with the chores he should have done days, if not weeks, ago.

* * *

For the past couple of days something had kept the most senior officer in the section on edge. He normally only felt as such when he was meeting with his younger sister who had developed a rather unhealthy obsession with him. Recently he had taken to locking himself away in his office, although he no longer felt at peace there now either.  
Right now the ivory skinned Russian sat in his chair watching the window which was in the far right corner of the room. Platinum blonde hair lay over his eyes whilst he rested his chin on the back of his hands as his elbows were perched on the desk that he was sat at. He'd been mulling over what the newest member of his squad had talked to him about. Why wasn't he looking for the missing Englishman? Yes the other two had gone missing but their bodied has turned up within the space of twenty-four hours. Arthur Kirkland on the other hand had now been gone for two and a half days and there had been no word of his body having been found.

Shutting his lilac eyes the tall man moved his hands so that they were no longer supporting his head but were instead nursing his temples. His long, slender fingers went round in circles as he tried to calm himself. It wasn't too late to begin his search, even though he doubted he'd find his friend come ally alive. It almost felt like everyone involved in the case of Mr. Francis Bonnefoy were falling one by one. Antonio Carriedo and Gilbert Beilschmidt had fallen and now Arthur. He hadn't heard from Ludwig, Gilbert's younger brother, in a while and was now, unfortunately, assuming the worst.

After a few minutes Sergeant Braginski pushed himself up and out of his chair. He'd made up his mind, he would find the Englishman even if it was only his body. Walking over to the door he tugged on a long blue jacket from the coat hanger, which stood proudly only wobbling slightly when he opened the door and shut it behind him with more force than he'd intended.  
Adjusting his pale pink scarf, which he rarely removed, as it had been a present from his elder sister who he rarely got to see, Mr. Braginski made his way down the wood panelled corridor. His footsteps getting heavier with determination with each step he took.

* * *

Alfred was sleeping in a chair at his desk, he'd been awake all night and morning either talking or cleaning. His glasses were resting on the tip of his nose, threatening to fall off with even the smallest of movements.  
He was in such a deep sleep that he couldn't hear the thumping of footsteps getting closer. Everyone else in the station had stopped what they were doing and were now staring intently in the direction of the doorway which lead to the Sergeants hallway. S small grunt escaped the American's lips as he shifted in his seat as to make himself feel more comfortable. Unfortunately for him the door was thrust open with a loud bang causing the shattered officer to fall from his chair in shock, which was shortly followed by a chain of swear words.

After a few minutes the American looked up to see a rather fuzzy outline of a human being. He sat there for a while trying to figure out why he couldn't see properly. It wasn't until he noticed the lack of weight on the bride of his nose that he realised he was no longer wearing his glasses. A light blush dusted his cheeks as he gradually got more and more embarrassed. Looking down he could just about see them sitting on his chest, almost mocking him. Mumbling Alfred picked them up and placed them back where they were supposed to be. After blinking a little so he could adjust his eyes to the glasses the American looked up again to find himself face to face with his boss. Sapphire eyes widened as the young officer pushed himself up off of the floor and quickly patted his uniform down in an attempt to rid it of any dust it may have gathered from it's time on the floor.

"This is an office and not a hotel room, da?" The Russian said a little bit of agitation showing in his voice.

"S-Sorry Sir! I was up all night talking to my bro and then I decided to do some cleaning!" Alfred half shouted in his defence.

"Mr. Jones. I don't care about your home life" Ivan smiled sweetly, sending shivers down the American's spine "I just want to make sure you understand that you're not meant to fall asleep when you're working."

The lesser officer gulped and nodded to show that he understood the un-spoken threat.

"I'm glad we understand each other" The Sergeant chirped happily before he turned and walked towards the front of the office.

At the far end of the officer stood a black board and in front of it was a wooden pulpit, the sort of one that was only really seen in churches. That part of the room was only used for big, important cases that normally involved missing or murdered people. Alfred watched as Sergeant Braginski removed the information from the case they'd finished a few months back and slowly began to write the details of the new case upon it. It took a while for the words that the Russian was writing on the board to sink in, but when they did Alfred couldn't keep the grin from his face.

There were three names were writing in large writing in the centre of the board, small gasps could be heard from the room as well as the occasional whisper. Everyone in the department knew of the three men even if they hadn't known them personally. Two dead and one missing.

The white haired Sergeant turned to face the group after he'd finished writing and looked directly at the, now very excited, American who's face was lit up like the sun that shone in through the window.

'He listened to me!' Alfred thought as the Russian began to speak 'The head of the department listened to a li'l guy like me!'

It wasn't until his boss mentioned the name 'Bonnefoy' that Alfred decided pay attention to "A few years ago there was myself and four fellow officers and we were asked to accept a man of what the Sergeant was saying.

French origin into our ranks, which we did happily. You see this department never used to consist of so many people. In-fact after allowing the Frenchman to join us there was only five. We all got along reasonably well, the only real issue was between said Frenchman and Arthur Kirkland but to be perfectly honest I wouldn't have expected any less from them. Both were patriotic to the core and because of the history their countries shared they had their occasional fight. After a couple of months we began to notice that information must have been leaked somewhere down the line as the person we were chasing changed their methods and managed to slip away into obscurity. This annoyed everyone, well everyone but Francis Bonnefoy which aroused suspicion in myself and a man called Ludwig Beilschmidt. Everything continued as normal until Arthur heard something and cornered the Frenchman, he'd heard him passing information onto the person who we later found out to be the man we were after. When he arrived back at the office he told me what he'd heart straight away. This made up my mind on what I'd be doing. The next morning I briefed Arthur, Francis, Gilbert and Antonio on the supposed location of the man we were searching for. I couldn't but notice the slight twitch of a smirk on the newest additions face. After I'd finished I took Arthur aside and explained to him what I wanted him to do…"

* * *

_A younger looking Arthur Kirkland was following his friend and boss as the Russian led him towards a quiet room in which the two could speak privately. After the taller of the two had shut the door on the rest of the group and turned to the messy haired blonde, speaking to him a hushed voice._

"_I have a special job or you" Ivan began "I want you to get rid of Francis. You understand, da?"_

_The shorter of the two couldn't conceal the look of shock and horror that crosses his face. Of course he understood what was being asked of him but it was more the fact that he thought it a little too drastic._

"_I'm guessing you're not talking about finding a way to get rid of him by finding evidence against him… are you sir?" He asked in a somewhat solemn and already resigned tone._

"_I want you to get __rid__ of him, da? Properly get rid but if possible make it look like an accident."_

_With slumped shoulders the Englishman nodded reluctantly before pushing past the tall Russian to head out to the group so they could begin their final 'mission' together, all the while Arthur could feel the Frenchman's sky blue eyes baring into the back of his head making him shudder._

'_He must know..' The Englishman thought to himself as he tried to keep the fear of what he'd been asked to do from showing._

_Offering his fellow officers the best smile he could muster Arthur picked his coat from the back of his chair and walked out of the station, the trio of trouble markers following behind._

_After an hour or so of travelling they reached the area in which Arthur had witnessed Francis talking to the other person. Within minutes they all went their separate ways to investigate the area. Well at least that was what they had agreed on. It didn't take long for Arthur to realise he was being followed, whoever it was that was walking behind him was trying to cover his own footsteps by going in time with Arthur's.  
Taking a deep breath Arthur paused and made as if to turn around. As he did so he felt something sharp and cold against his throat. He stood there frozen to the spot, the breath that came from his mouth turned into small puffs of white condensation as it came into contact with the cold morning air._

"'_Ow could you give me up mon cher?" Came the all too familiar French accent "And we were just starting to get on…"_

_Biting down on his lip Arthur shut his eyes tightly and tried to ignore the blade that was slowly cutting through the skin covering his throat._

"_You are never zis quiet normally lapin…"_

_The voice was closer than it had been previously, in-fact he could feel lips pressing against his ear._

"_Cowards are ze only people 'oo rat others out!"_

_As Francis said the word 'Coward' something inside the Englishman snapped. He was no coward and there was no chance in hell that he would be called one by a Frenchman of all people! A slight growl escaped the smaller man's lips as he ducked, catching his throat on the blade a little. Holding the cut he'd caused he reached down to his belt and took his gun from the holster in a flash._

"_I'm not coward you stupid, perverted, back-stabbing Frog!" He spat whilst continuing to keep his gun pointed at the Frenchman._

_Moving his hand from his throat Arthur glanced at it quickly to see it covered in blood, cursing quietly he put it back to use, pressing against the wound in an attempt to prevent too much blood loss. Looking back up at the Frenchman he noticed an eerie gleam in the other's eyes which hadn't been there before. Arthur guessed that the only thing keeping the Frenchman at bay was the gun he held tightly in his shaking hand. Well he thought that until the Frenchman began to advance. His emerald green eyes widened._

"_I-I WILL SHOOT!" Arthur shouted, forgetting about keeping his clam composure._

_All that came from the Frenchman was a cold laugh that echoed down the alleyway._

_Meanwhile the other two officers heard the shouts and stopped walking, they recognised both the laughter and shouting. The laugh sent shivers down the pair's spines as they weren't used to hearing such a sound coming from the jolly Frenchman. The laughter continued making both Antonio and Gilbert run in the direction of the noise._

_When they arrived they saw the Frenchman pressing himself against Arthur's gun as he stared at the blood trickling from the wound around Arthur's neck. The two new comers could do nothing but stare in horror at the scene unfolding before them._

"_Too scared to shoot non?" Francis whispered into Arthur's ear "Unable to fulfil your duties?"_

_This earned him a glare from the English officer who was beginning to feel a little dizzy._

"_All you do is pull faces mon cher~ Not attractive ones mind you"_

_Francis's face was now mere inches from Arthur's. Though it didn't stay there very long, in-fact it only took a few seconds till the Frenchman's lips were pressed against Arthur's neck. As Francis licked the wound a deafening bang resounded throughout the area. The green-eyed blonde's finger had subconsciously pulled the trigger. Suddenly everything seemed to go in slow motion. Francis's body went limp and slumped onto the Englishman causing Arthur's knees to buckle making him fall backwards. Blood was splattered everywhere. On the stone slabs below them and on the wall behind Francis.  
Arthur groaned as his head came into contact with the stones below. Everything was already starting to go rather fuzzy and he was sure that it was getting colder than it had been previously even though he had thought that impossible. The blood from his neck was now pooling on his chest, mixing with the Frenchman's that was pouring from the wound Arthur had given him._

_After Antonio and Gilbert recovered from their states of shock the duo ran towards the wounded pair. Gilbert rolled the Frenchman's body off of Arthur's with ease whist Antonio knelt down and lifted Arthur's head into his lap causing the Englishman to whimper in pain weakly._

_The hand, which he'd been using to calm the blood flow, slowly slipped from the wound as he found himself slipping into unconsciousness. The last thing Arthur could remember was his friends shouting at him. One was calling for help whilst the other was pleading with him to say with them._

_

* * *

_

When the Russian finished explaining all the, what he thought to be, relevant facts the tall man began to instruct people on how to go about finding information on the Englishman's disappearance. By the point the American was too distracted by his own thoughts to pay anymore attention to his commanding officer. Why hadn't Arthur told him the truth about the Bonnefoy case? He'd said that Francis ran as soon as he knew he'd been found out. Heaving a heavy sigh the bespectacled blonde pushed himself out of the chair, which he'd been sat down on during his elder's speech. Picking up his coat the young man left the station wondering what was going on and where his mentor was.

* * *

After eating Arthur had spent the evening in his room claiming he needed to be on his own. Within a few hours, which he'd spent in quiet contemplation, the small man had drifted off into a deep yet troubled sleep. His dreams were normally quite pleasant as the fae looked over him to make sure nothing could harm him, but with faerie magic to protect him the messy haired blonde tossed and turned all night. Images of past cases flashed before his eyes, this lasted for quite a while but eventually it subsided only to be replaced by the feeling of being watched. It sent shivers down his spine and made him want to run for his life, which is what his dream-self actually did.

He was running down the same cold, dark and damp alley he'd been patrolling a few nights ago when Francis had abducted him. He was still feeling watched which only made him run faster, his green eyes were clenched shut. Heart racing he instinctively turned round the corner he knew to be there and continued his frenzied sprint. Arthur knew that before long he'd either reach a dead end or run out of breath. Muttering a few choice swear words he continued, praying to god that the feeling would stop. Instead it just got worse. He could feel more and more eyes upon him, each with it's own malicious intent.

Whimpering quietly from fear he opened his eyes only to find a pair of ice cold, dead looking, violet eyes directly in front of him. With a loud, manly, scream of terror he found himself skidding to a halt and going right through the ghostly eyes. Having stopped the poor Englishman was now doubled over in agony as the air burnt his lungs as he gasped for breath, completely unaware of the black figure that was slowly sneaking up on him.

Just as he started to stand up straight again he heard two very familiar voices shouting at him to start running again. Telling him to run until he woke. Frowning Arthur looked around, trying to locate the source of the pair of voices. Looking up he saw two pale looking people, almost transparent from the angle he looked up at them from.  
Squinting he noticed one had ruby red eyes and silver hair whilst the other had reddish-brown hair and grass green eyes. It was then he realised who they were, or to be more precise, who they had been.

"A-Antonio?.. Gilbert?" He called out, eyes wide in shock.

"Idiot! We said run!" Gilbert shouted angrily as he leant over the edge of the building, shaking his fist angrily the whole while.

Whilst the two shouted at each other Antonio's attention was caught by the black outline which was now picking up it's speed as it made it's way towards the tiny officer.

"Watch out _mi amigo_!" The Spaniard shouted, only a little too late to be of any use.

Arthur was now being pulled back against the figures chest as he felt a pain that he hadn't felt in a very long time. It was his throat, it was throbbing as something cold came into contact with it. His eyes shot open as he raised his hands and began to claw at the figure, but his hands went right thought the mist that was in the figure of a man. His nails came into contact with his own skin as he pulled them down making him shout loudly in pain. Viridian eyes slammed shut from the pain as he drew his own blood from his attempt at self-defence.

All that the police officer earned in response was a cruel chuckle and more pain as the freezing item pressed into his throat and was slowly dragged from one side to the other, tearing the flesh apart and making Arthur's pristine become drenched in blood. Before long he felt an overwhelming tiredness sweep over him.  
For the second time in his life Arthur heard people shouting at him to stay awake, which was becoming unbearably hard to do.

Fortunately for the young Englishman Francis had heard his cries of pain and panic. It didn't take long for the vampire to reach the other's bedroom and find him writing beneath the covers in agonising pain. His small hands digging into his collar bone causing blood to slowly seep from the open wounds, but that wasn't the most worrying thing about what the elder was seeing.

Blood was gushing from the injury that was now half way around his throat and growing by the second.

"_Merde_! What is 'appening to you _mon ami_?" Francis half shouted as he fought with himself against the urge to take what all creatures, like himself, would have wanted to take.

Reaching forward with both his hands the blue eyed Frenchman shook the other by his shoulders violently, causing the shorter of the two to wake with a start.

Sitting up right with sweat beading upon his brow Arthur found himself away from the alley and face to face with his 'gracious' host. His eyes, which could normally have given the brightest of emeralds a run for their money were now more of an olive colour due to their lack of shine. Francis found something off putting and haunting about them, it was the fact that there was almost no pupil that made him think this. After a few seconds the fear filled orbs shut and tears began to build up in their corners.

By this point Francis was doing his best not to rip the other's throat open even more than it currently was. Taking deep breaths he managed to eventually calm himself and look at the young blonde man with pity.

"_Mon petit ange_.. What is wrong..?" He asked quietly as he eyed the bleeding neck warily because he couldn't see the blood flow slowing.

Yes when he'd cut the other's neck previously he couldn't have cared less about the blood flow slowing but that was because he had intended to kill him, but now he wasn't. Now he was actually trying to protect his past friend.

"E-eyes… Lots of eyes… Laughter.. Cold…" The officer whimpered as he sat there, body shaking violently.

Frowning the Frenchman picked up Arthur carefully and carried him from his room to take him to one of his 'human' servants. Well more human than his other ones at least.

When he reached the right wing he turned down the first corridor on the left and walked down it hurriedly until he reached large black door, studded with silver spikes.  
After making sure that Arthur was secure in his hold Francis knocked and fidgeted a little as he waited. Francis had never claimed to be the most patient of people and right now he was even worse than usual. He needed the person in the room to open the door so they could start working on the bleeding form in his arms.

A soft growl escaped the elder's mouth as he rapped his knuckles against the door again and he didn't stop until a female voice assaulted his ears with a shrill shout of "Give me a minute won't you?". After a short amount of time the door swung open revealing a woman, one that wasn't all that hard on the eyes and had curves in all the right places.

Wavy, brown hair reached down to her hips and swung to the side as she moved to lean against the doorway which made her leather clad hips seem even bigger than before. The leather stretched from her hips to her shoulders but the top part seemed to be more like over-lapping belts, scarcely hiding anything. On her legs she wore garters that were connected to the lower part of the leather body piece.  
The garters were lace at the top but as the material got closer to her ankles it was much more like a pair of fish net tights and on her feet she wore a pair of black stilettos. Her eyes were grass green, nearly as impressive as the injured blonde's pair but not quite, her lips were blood red, much like the liquid seeping from Arthur's wounds. In her hair sat a pink lily-like flower that seemed to be pinning back her fringe from her eyes.

"Francis" She said curtly, her narrowed eyes starting to look him up and down until they rested upon the man he was holding.

"Elizabeth I need your 'elp…" He said, his tone was almost one of a desperate man "'E is 'urt. I was trying to 'elp and protect 'im but as you can see, mon cher, I did not do a good job of it.."

Without waiting a second she ushered the pair into her quarters and ordered Francis to place Arthur down on the bed which was in the centre of her room. It was topped with, what seemed like, hundreds of silk covered cushions. It took quite a while for the Frenchman to find a way to put Arthur down without causing him anymore discomfort than he was already in. After finding a way to do so Elizabeth made her way over to the two of them with a rather large material bag that was obviously being weighed down by it's contents. After she reached them and had gently put the bag down on the bed she looked Arthur up and down before returning to her attention back to the bag and it's contents.

"How long Francis?" The brunette asked as she began to remove the contents from the bag to which Francis's only response was to stare at her cluelessly.

A slight frown encroached upon her pretty features and didn't leave till Francis went red from embarrassment when he realised what she's meant.

"Je ne sais pas, 'e was like zis when I found 'im" He admitted as he watched the lady get to work with the medical equipment.

To begin with she removed the young officer's white bed shirt which was now stained a dark red with the blood that had poured from the open wound, thankfully the flow of blood from said wound was beginning to calm. Once she had it off Elizabeth got to work with cleaning the crusted blood from Arthur's chest.

"He's human isn't he?" She asked without looking up at the Frenchman.

"Oui.." Francis replied quietly.

"You like him, don't you?" She asked, looking up this time with the slightest of smirks tugging at her lips.

"Is it zat obvious?" Francis inquired, looking quite pitiful.

All Elizabeth could do was laugh at this point, he couldn't tell how blatantly obvious it was that he was fawning over a human that in comparison to him was a mere child barely out of nappies.

"How do you plan on keeping your 'urges' under control? Hmm?" She asked.

Francis scowled and chose to ignore that because, as of yet, he hadn't quite worked that out. He lay his sapphire eyes upon the ash-blonde who was now having his throat tended to. The wound was carefully being stitched together by the young woman's expert hands.

"'E was in ze throws of a nightmare when I found 'im like zis" He explained to her "I could see no-one in there wiv 'im and yet 'e was like zis"

"He's a sensitive isn't he?" Elizabeth asked as she looked at him questioningly "He sees ghosts and the such does he not?"

"Oui" Francis replied with a slight frown "What 'as zat got to do wiv anything?"

The girl smiled sadly at the blue eyed Frenchman.

"There are things that you can't protect him from Francis.." Noticing the bewildered expression that had crept onto the Vampires face she sighed and continued "Shadows get into the minds of mortals and give them what we call 'nightmares' but those that are sensitive to all creatures in our realm are more at risk than normal humans. These shadows can inflict said person with physical wounds as they truly exist in said persons mind."

It took a while for the words to sink in but when they did Francis paled drastically, if it was even possible for a creature of the night to do so.

"You mean someone like us is 'urting 'im wiv their abilities?" He asked worriedly.

Elizabeth nodded, the sad smile still tugging at her ruby red lips. Azure eyes lay their gaze upon the injured Englishman before leaning over him and kissing him lovingly on the forehead before resting his own forehead against the one he'd just kissed.

"Mon petit rose anglais je suis desole.." He uttered quietly, his lips brushing against Arthur's gently before kissing them tenderly "Je'taime mon cher, je'taime _mon _Arthur.."

* * *

_HI_

_... God I'm a lazy sod. I have had this written for MONTHS and I mean months. Seriously. I've had it half typed up as well for at least a month and a half. College kicked in as did my cosplaying mind so I've done nothing apart from run around in cosplay and do college work. Fun times 3_

_I hope I havn't disapointed people._

_Updates might be slow, depending on how I get on with college work. Although I am going on holiday in about two weeks time which means I should have free time in which I could sit and work on this._

_ANYWHOM._

_What do you guys think? Have I made it too obvious who the person behind the unfolding events is?_

Ruth

_xxxx  
_


	8. Explanation of the super huge delay

Hello everyone,

Over the past two years or more that I've practically ditched this story I have fallen out of love with Hetalia. Which is unfortunate as it was my inspiration for alot of things I used to do like; Drawings, cosplay and writing.

Even though I've fallen out of love with Hetalia after reading the reviews on this and watching it slowly get favourites and follows I have felt the urge to try again to work on it.

Obviously I won't restart as I think I'll get bored and just give up on it completely.

So I apologise if the next chapter seems like it's written somewhat differently to the others.

I will try my hardest to keep the characters in character. I may occasionally drift off of this. If I do PLEASE let me know as it'll be because I've not watched Hetalia or read it in a very very long time now.

Love you all and thank-you for the kind words in your reviews :)

Ruth

xxxx


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